


I Dream of Asra

by chalcedonyx



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nonbinary Character, Other, fluff with minimal plot, nonbinary protag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 17:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13908669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chalcedonyx/pseuds/chalcedonyx
Summary: A very short one-shot of my MC/Fan Apprentice, Zela, cuddling with Asra while he comforts them after a nightmare.





	I Dream of Asra

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y’all this is super short, I may add more later, but really I just wanted to post this because I’ve had this moment in my brain since a few updates ago. Thank you for reading!

_Asra’s hair is blooming white, the very image of an orchid flower. Jewels hang about his neck and he smiles at me, the knowing grin spreading across his entire expression. But it’s not him. Or, maybe it used to be, but this is not my Asra. He’s speaking now, but his voice is faraway. Then he’s slipping away._  
_“Asra,” I call out as his image starts to fade, but he’s turning away too fast. Something in the distance is luring him from me. I try to give chase, but my legs are sticky, stuck to the floor, and by the time I take my first step, he’s gone, but I finally hear him._  
_“Zela, don’t try to remember,” he says, and then I’m staring at my own naked body in a mirror, but I don’t recognize their form. “Whatever you do, don’t remember. You’re not ready,” Asra’s voice again from all around me, but I can’t stop myself from reaching out a single hand to the mirror._  
_My reflection reaches out as well, but their hand is glowing and warped with too-long fingers. The moment our fingers touch, the glass shivers outward like pond water, and the eyes of my reflection shift to an eerie yellow color._

_“Zela,”_  
My eyes flutter open at the sound of Asra’s worried voice. His eyes are staring into mine and I realize that I’m shivering. We’re still sharing the bed in the cottage on the outskirts of town.  
He smiles in relief that I’ve woken up from the strange dream, and I try to gather my thoughts, but my head is swirling, and I can’t shake the feeling of being watched.  
“What happened?” I ask, my voice thick with slumber. He brushes my hair behind my ear.  
“You were having a nightmare, I think. Are you all right?” he asks, and I consider the question before I answer. I reach out a shaky hand to cup the left side of his face, and he leans into my palm.  
“I’m… not sure,” I manage to get out. “I dreamed you were leaving,”  
His expression falls as if I’ve struck him in the chest. Though we both are very accustomed to his leaving me on my own by now, things seem different now. Asra’s been sharing more with me, and I can’t help but feel guilty for putting it so bluntly. If he were to leave this time, I would miss him, sure, but it wouldn’t be like any time before. He leans down to kiss my forehead as if he can read my thoughts.  
“I’m sorry,” I hear him whisper, almost unsure if he’s actually said it, or if I’ve imagined it. Instinctively, I tug his chin upward, and touch my lips to his for a chaste kiss. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine, his free hand wrapped around my waist and stroking my back underneath my shirt.  
“You were telling me not to remember something, and I saw myself in a mirror, but… it wasn’t me,” I break the silence, and when the words leave my mouth, my head seems to throb a little. His eyes open and I can tell there is something like pain there. Regret. “Asra,” I say his name like a question and he answers me by pulling me against his chest and tucking my head under his chin. “What did I forget?” I ask and a tiny spark of pain shoots up my spine, resulting in me losing my breath. Asra’s grip tightens.  
“I can’t tell you,” he confesses into my hair. “Zela, I’m so sorry. I want to tell you, I do, but I can’t. Not yet,” he tells me. The sound of his voice causes something in my chest to stir. I pull away from him so I can look into his eyes.  
“Okay,” I say, and he looks relieved. “If not now, when?” he smiles wryly, shaking his head.  
“Soon,” he promises.  
“What are you laughing at?” I ask him, a little embarrassed.  
“You,” he answers, and I feel my cheeks flush. “You’re too curious for your own good.”  
“Don’t pretend you don’t like that about me,” I tease him, and he pulls me against him once more, his body heat warming the shivers from my bones.  
“Oh, I love that about you,” he admits, stroking the line of my hip gently, causing goosebumps to form there. “But you need to be careful,” he warns.  
“For you, I’ll try,” I tell him, and he seems satisfied with that answer, because he kisses my forehead again. We stay like that until sleep finds us again.


End file.
